South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, left, comforts her son, Nalin, 10, and her daughter, Rena, 14, as her husband, Capt. Michael Haley, right, gets ready for a deployment ceremony for the South Carolina Army National Guard 3/49 Agribusiness Development Team at McCrady Training Center, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, at Ft. Jackson, S.C. The deployment is scheduled for a year including one month of training in Indiana prior to leaving for Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)

24 Responses to Saying Goodbye

A sign of the times. When the DoD decided, back in the late 70s, to realign the National Guard and Reserve programs by putting the Combat Arms units (SF, artillery, infantry – pointy end of the spear stuff) in the Guard and the rest into the Reserve side (with a few exceptions) the Guard was sup[posed to be the green-clad equivalent of the Fantastic Four. Appears the ‘green’ part is still valid, the might combat arm of the US Guard will be helping Afghan farmers to develop their crops and marketing paradigms. I’m sure the heroin poppy farmers will profit greatly from the assistance and, oh, by the way, what happened to those millions upon millions of dollars we gave to the USDA to go over there and do just that same thing with the Afghan farmers? WTF are we wasting limited combat arms enlistee spaces in the Guard on armed organic farmers? What’s this, “Join The Guard! We are the combat ‘arm’ in farm!”

US politicians have been protecting Afghan opium crops since day one. When the US and the Northern Alliance pushed the Taliban back in 2002 the warlords in the Alliance were planting opium right behind the tanks doing the pushing. US command staff had spray gear for the Blackhawks flown in and they were about to start 2-4-D-ing the opium crops when State stopped them. State’s excuse was that without the heroin poppy crops the Afghan farmers would starve as they didn’t know how to grow anything else. Sounds like a somewhat plausible excuse if you don’t have some knowledge of State and international narcotic trade.

I’ve never quite figured out the National Guard angle overseas….. my stupidity, perhaps, or lack of research. To me, “National Guard” means this HERE nation.
Anyway, I think it’s part of the Imam Choomster’s nation-wrecking plan – to dishonor our war-dead, as well. The cherry on the sundae, so to speak. Bastard.

Exactly…national does not mean international. And if we’re going to engage in war, then have a draft, fight to win and get the hell out. This endless crap is just war profiteering, plan and simple, and having a draft would help end that process.

You obviously don’t have any sons of age or soon to be coming of age now. It’s one thing to draft under a President that acts in the best interest of our country its completely different to issue a draft under the current president and administration.

I have two sons that are both of age who could serve. Would I want them to serve under Obama? You don’t need to ask. But my comment about having a draft is still valid…what wars do you think were in the best interest of USA? Do you think Vietnam was in our best interest? How about the last two, with one still dragging on after 10+ years doing nation building which is not the purpose of military? When most of America doesn’t have “skin in the game” then our government can get away with the status quo. If we want to fight a war, then there should be equal opportunity for all….and things would maybe change…thats my point.

Going into Afghanastan after
September 11 was the only answer to that day & hunt down OBL & Taliban… no question. Had Clinton any guts after all the terrorist attacks on his watch and done something the enormity of 9/11 may not have happened:
1993 – The first WTC bombing
1996 – Khobar Towers bombing
1998 – U.S. Embassy bombings Kenya/Tanzania
2000 – USS Cole Bombing – Yemen
If Congress would stay out of military efforts & give the ones on the front line making decisions the funding & troops they request when they request it (not dithering opportunities away as they tend to do) outcomes would be different.

Hi Ctdar – I was drafted (forced to join) a service in 1962. The result, I signed up for six years of service. At that time, I felt that if our Nation were attacked, Congress would declare WAR, and we would fight to defend ourselves – like in WW II. But that NEVER HAPPENED. If we don’t have the guts to “Declare WAR”, we don’t have any right to FORCE a person into the service. We received pay ($98 / month, PFC E2) – because of the draft. In my judgment, ending the Draft, meant that we had to pay people in “Service” a decent wage – thus the reason to have a “peace-time” army – that is well-paid. These “Presidential Wars” – are against the intent of the Constitution, and are illegal for that reason. If anyone wants to serve in these “Pseudo-Wars”, then that should be the person’s choice – and never FORCED on the person.

True…It was a fool’s errand for us to ever enter Afghanistan. What exactly did this country do…well nothing. Sure, the Taliban (who we created) was in power, and essentially didn’t want to cough-up some terrorist camps, but the people didn’t even know what 9/11 was. Surgical strikes, Special Forces, daisy cutters, etc was all that was needed. No bullshit nation building that had zero chance of ever changing a 2,000 year old male dominated culture. What we do is more than ridiculous.

The Taliban were the remnants of the Mujhadeen that we created in the 80’s to fight the Soviets.

A bigger point – we need to stop glorifying these overseas debacles. Nobody fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan was/is fighting for my freedom. They are fighting for some other reason but I never asked them to go and I don’t appreciate them going. If that sounds harsh then so be. The current crop of volunteers just enables these endless stupid wars, especially considering the real war is at home.

Yes, I can tell the difference…one is more spicy than the other. Can you tell the difference in the chemical rockets that were used in Iraq? Where did they come from? How about the weapons flowing into Mexico, or Syria…I wonder what government might be behind those? Our history in playing the field in Afghanistan is not pretty, and we support multiple sides…we have zero business being there and people suffer because of it. Our men and women of uniform, and the common people of other nations.